2026 Bridge Conference

2026 Bridge Conference

10:15am PDT

Belonging Before Leadership: Creating Communities Where Every Young Person Can Lead Room 316, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterGreg Barker (he/him) Belonging: The Impact of Difference Commencement I & II, Marriott (2nd Floor)Sheryl Blessing (she/her) • Bao Huong Doan (she/her) Serving Youth & Adolescents of Color Through Connection, Cultural Awareness, and Mental Health Support Stadium, Marriott (2nd Floor)Toni Williams (she/her) Playworks Group Management Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Taylor Timms (she/her) • Casey Gackle (he/him) LGBTQI+ Inclusive and Affirming Programs: Using an Intersectional Lens Chambers Bay 2, Marriott (3rd Floor)Tracy Flynn (she/her) Fixing our Fixed-Math Mindsets! Room 407, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterAnnelise Strobel (she/her) • Jordan Koch (she/her)

12:45pm PDT

KC CONNECT: Restorative Responses to Harm Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Fergie Rodriguez (she/her) • Sharon Moon (she/her) Inclusive Facilitation: Creating Spaces Where Everyone Can Participate and Thrive Chambers Bay 2, Marriott (3rd Floor)Sangita Kumar (she/her) • Be the Change Consulting Mindsets Matter: exploring fixed, growth and benefit mindsets Stadium, Marriott (2nd Floor)Sevan Bussell (they/them) Skills for Theatre, Skills for Life: incorporating social and emotional learning into the classroom through drama games and activities Union, Marriott (3rd Floor)Janet Cole Hamilton (she/her) • Blaire Smith (she/her) Youth Power in Practice: How Young People Are Leading Social Change Across Washington Commencement I & II, Marriott (2nd Floor)Olivia Thai (she/her) • Chetan Soni Creating Ripples of Opportunity: Financial Aid Strategies that Advance Equity and Access Room 407, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterChristina Winstead (she/her) • Kathie Pham (she/her)

2:30pm PDT

Tuning In: Building Feedback Loops and Amplifying Youth Voice Union, Marriott (3rd Floor)Ella Kim (she/her/hers) • A.S. Pualani (he/him/his) Engage IRL: Building Student Belonging Through Meaningful Engagement Room 316, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterAaliyah Ashley-Meek • Austin Johnson • Crystal Medina (she/her/ella) Art With, Not About: Building Ethical Art-Making and Storytelling Practices Room 318, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterJae Eun Kim (they/them) Beyond Four Walls: Mapping Multidimensional Ecosystems and Black Girl-Led Geographies of Belonging Room 407, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterTiana (Tee) Freeman (she/her) Designing Our Own Learning (DOOL): Building Belonging, Invigorating Student Voice and Practicing Shared Power Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Alan Wong (he/him)

9:45am PDT

Developing Evaluation Frameworks: Youth-led Community-wide Impacts of Out-of-School STEM Programs Room 317, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterEmily Anderson (she/her) • Emily Howard (she/her) Walking Hart’s Ladder: Strengthening Authentic Youth and Adult Partnerships for Lasting Engagement Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Brian Brandt (he/him) Bingo, But Different Room 318, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterYolanda Benton (she/her/they) Make Belonging a Daily Practice: Simple, Off-Screen Games for Busy Programs Room 316, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterNegar Yaghoobi

10:30am PDT

Being Water in Practice: Supporting Newcomer Students & Families Through Adaptability, Access, and Belonging Stadium, Marriott (2nd Floor)Milagros Alarcon Casafranca (she/her) • Nataliia Ledchak (she/her) Finding the Current: How Black Male Mentor-Educators Build Trust, Brotherhood & Belonging Point Defiance, Marriott (3rd Floor)Kristian Jones (he/him) • Shelby Cooley (she/her) Moving Beyond Labels Room 315, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterElisia Sanchez (she/her) Why Grief Matters and how we might respond Chambers Bay 1, Marriott (3rd Floor)Lisa Duke MSW (she/her) • Paulette Juarez • Mat Ledin • Paula Blanchard The Water We Don't See: Building Belonging Across Race, Culture, Ability, and Identity Union, Marriott (3rd Floor)Eseosa Paula Ajala (she/her) De-escalation Strategies: Return to Baseline Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Janet Cole Hamilton (she/her) • Maurianna Zingarelli (she/her)

2:30pm PDT

All Means All: Using Differentiation to Increase Access & Inclusion Room 407, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterClaire Finders (she/her) Ask, Listen, Empower: Shifting from Control to Connection Room 316, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterHailee Moehnke (she/her) • Kristin Stayer (she/her) Beyond the Circle: Expanding Your Multi-Modal Toolkit for Deeper Reflection and Debriefing Chambers Bay 3, Marriott (3rd Floor)Brian Brandt (he/him) • Jeff Dickmann (he/him/his) The Power of Home, How Place-Based Programs Build Upon the Strengths of Youth, Family, and Community Stadium, Marriott (2nd Floor)Delaney Wright (she/her) • Brittney Hutchinson (she/her) Flow Forward: Help Youth Build Identity, Belonging, and Career Pathways Room 315, Greater Tacoma Convention CenterSophia Downs (she/her)